Tensioning toolholder



' Se t. 27, 1949. F, C, WILLIS 2,282,995

TENSIONING TOOLHOLDER Filed May 29, 1944 v 2 sheets sheet l INVENTOR, FRANK C. WILL/S.

ATfO/PNEK Sept. 27, 1949. F. c. WILLIS TENSIONING TOOLHOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 29, 1944 INVENTOR,

FRANK C. WILL/S.

Q24. fwde ATTORNEK Patented Sept. .21 1949 TENS'IQNJNQIQQLHOLDER 7 nk Willis, Redw od 01m can AreficeiimMar 2, igjs r ai No 53mm 1 Claim. (01; see-29L The present invention relates to tool holders I and more particularly-to a tool -hol-deradapted to tighten halts, screws and; the liketo a predetermined tension.

" In many industriesypower tools are at present employedfor various operationson metal, wood and other materials;- Particular examples of such power tools are electrically and compressed air powered drills, reainers; screw drivers, socket wrenches, etc present" practice, separatez power driven units' aregenerally employed for each of these'operations. Since a single operator often performs a number "of- -these operations in sequence; as for seamen; drilling a'number of holesand then'setting screws-or laolts in the holes before drilling anothr group-of holes it will be 'seeirthat the operator inust have at; hand at least two' or more power driven tools, one of: which is idle while the v'oth e f is use This is undesirable from 's'tandp'oints both economy and eiiiciency. On theother-hand; of asingle power driven tool is used for the drillingoperation, for example, andft'he screws-orbolts set or other e'ra ibes ca ie ut th; an tools, 'itfis apparent thatthe output 01 completeditems upon which a given sequence of operations is carried flwi l'fbe' ea y educe -2 F hermore, even w eniw ew'er r' ve ni s ree ployed, it is usuallynecessary to utillze a tensionins b0 e ool which eu e etie ly releases when a predetern ined tension is placed operations such as setting; screws, tightening ut bolts, and e e gig-i memen maven r p ing bf we he eak n Of is es' terier u o xce o is en n hei ensionins drivers in common use at the present U tirne I are is to provide a tensioning toohholder whieh is easily adjusted to any :desired degreeof :tension. A stillfiirthr object is to-provide a tensioning tool holder. which iis adaptedito ivariousztypes of tools. Still another lobie'etiis' tor providelsa :ten- 'sioning, toolholder. .with safetysz'elasei means ;to

Other objects; together withsome-oi the advantagesto be derived in utilizing the present -invention, will become apparent from the follow ing detaileddescription thereof, taken together with the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification, and wherein:- a 4 Figure 1 is-a side elevation of aten'sioningtool holder according to the present invention.

Figure 2 -is a sectional-plan: view through L-Z of Figure-1. a

' Figure- 3 is a side elevation ofthe tool holder according-to Figure: 1--with the 'outercasing-re moved and the tool in theposition-showninFigureiz Figure 4 is an end elevation of: the tool: shown in the' tool holder in Figures hand- 2.

Figure 5 is'a sectional 'endelevation through 5 --5;of- Figure a Figure 6 is a'seotionalend elevation through oi- Figure 2. Figure 7 is 'a-sectional -end elevation---through il 'l of Figure-'2. 1i Figure sis a side elevation of another-typevof tool-which may Ice-utilized with the tool holder;-

' Figure 9 is an end elevationof the tool shown in Figure18;

Figure 1-0 is a side elevation, partly 'in section,

V 'ofa modified form orthe tool holder shown-in Q11 the r n e eme f er-xeee' rfme e h preventexcessiveatensioningiunder.allaconditions.

Figures 1 and-2.

Figurell is a sectional 1 i 'I i of Figure 10;

Referring par ticularlyto the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1:-'7=inclusive, the tool holdercom-prisesa tubularbody casing I, sleeve cap-3 threadedly engaging theupper end oi body casing I and being securedinany desired position withinthe-limits of the threads by means oflocksleeve 4 which also threadedly-engages 'bod-ycasing I. l Clutchele-ment 6 is slidablytdisposed within bodycasing- I; defining an annular-chamber be- 'tweenitselfandbody-casing 1; wherein a coil spring 8 is disposed. The lower end of spring "8 bears against annular shoulder -21 provided in body. casing l and the: upper end' bears against annular shoulder -2'8--provided on' clutch element 6. Inner casing-element- 2 is sl-i'dably disposed :at its lower end witliin :clutchl element hand extends-beyondabody casing I at its upper end; being provided with arr-annular shoulder: 29 which engagedzby the-cap portion L30+2of :sleeve cap 3;: Theyuppert-endoi casing e1ement.:2:is provided 5 with an internal, square/.cutiiemale thread-to; receive. tool head I lewhich' ismmvided with square cutmale.threadssengaginginnencas end elevation through ing element 2 at I8. Bit holder I is rigidly disposed within tool head I4 and extends within inner casing element 2. A drill or other tool as at I6 is disposed within bit holder I5 and secured by means of set screw I1 which passes through tool head I4 and bit holder I5 in threaded engagement therewith. Grooves may be provided in shaft II as at 3| and in clutch element 6 as at 32 to accommodate tools longer than the drill shown at I6 within the body of the tool holder.

Clutch head 5 is threadedly and rigidly mounted on inner casing element 2 and bears against clutch head I which is formed as part of clutch element a 6. Clutch heads 5 and I are each formed with semi-helically cut contact faces, the angles of which are supplementary, as shown particularly in Figure 3. The lower end of clutch element 6 terminates in a half round shaft at 9. Element I0 is rigidly positioned in the lower end of body casing I by means of pin I2 or other suitable means and extends towards the upper end of the tool holder, terminating in a half round shaft at II, the fiat faces of shafts 9 and II engaging in sliding contact. Other mechanical equivalents of the releasable clutch elements shown at 5 and 'I may be substituted therefor, although the semihelical elements illustrated have been found in practice to operate successfully under all conditions and are preferred for this reason.

The tip of body casing I is internally threaded to receive various tools provided with threaded bases,

as for example the hexagon socket wrench shown at I3 of Figures 1, 2, and 4 or a screw driving head such as shown in Figures 8 and 9 at I9. Any other suitable means may, of course, be utilized to secure the tool in the tip of the tool holder.

The tool holder functions in the following manner: Inner casing 2, clutch head 5, tool head I4 and bit holder I5 are all rotatable and slidable as a unit within body casing I, being normally urged in a direction away from the tip of the 7 tool holder by the action of spring 8 bearing against shoulder 21 of body casing I and against shoulder 28 of clutch element 6. The extent to which these elements are moved away from the tool holder tip is limited by sleeve cap 3, which is threaded on body casing I and engages the shoulder 29 provided on inner casing 2. In addition, clutch element 6 is also slidable and I0- tatable with respect to that part of inner casing 2 which it surrounds, being normally secured in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 by the spring force urging clutch head 1 against clutch head 5 which is rigidly and non-rotatably mounted on inner casing 2. Clutch element 6, however, is

slidable but non-rotatable with respect to body .casing I due to the sliding engagement of half round shaft 9 with half round shaft II which is rigidly and non-rotatably mounted within body casing I. Thus, with the protruding end of bit holder I5 secured in the chuck of a conventional power driven drill, the tool holder as a unit turns with bit holder I5.

However, if the rotation of body casing l is prevented, as for example occurs when hexagonal wrench I3 is engaging a nut which has been threaded into place, the rotative force which is still being applied to clutch head 5 through tool head I I and inner casing 2 forces clutch head I and clutch element 6 towards the tip of the tool holder against the compression force of spring 8 until clutch head 5 is free to rotatewith respect to clutch head I; At this point, bit holder l5,

tool head I4, inner casing 2 (which is threadedly "engaged by tool head I4) and clutch head 5 continue to rotate with respect to the other elements of the tool holder, the helical faces of clutch heads 5 and 1 making intermittent contact as clutch head 5 rotates and clutch element 6 reciprocating on inner casing 2. When setting a screw or tensioning a bolt and during various other operations, the intermittent contact of the helical clutch faces, with consequent intermittent torsion forces applied to the tool in the tip of the tool holder, is of great benefit in} assuring proper setting and/or'tensioning of the work.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 10 and 11, the mechanism is substantially the same as that shown in Figures 1-7 inclusive except in the means for preventing rotation of clutch head 1 with respect to body casing I. In Figure 10, element II] of Figure 2 is replaced with a sleeve 2I with body casing I and provided with a keyway 22. Clutch element 23 carrying clutch head I is slidable on inner casing 2 in the same manner as clutch; element 8 of Figure 2 and is provided with a key- 25 which is slidable within keyway 22. Spring 8 bears against the end of sleeve 2I and against clutch head I as shown. The operation of the release mechanism is the same as that described above with respect to the construction shown in Figures 1-7 inclusive, i. e. when the tip of the tool holder is restrained, clutch element 23 is forced against the compression of spring 8 towards the tip of the tool holder, key 25 sliding in keyway 22, until tool head I4, inner casing 2 and clutch head 5 are free to rotate with bit holder I5 and with respect to body casing I and clutch element 26. Intermittent contact of the helical faces of clutch heads 5 and 1 occurs and clutch element 28 reciprocates on inner casing 2, key 25 meanwhile reciprocating in keyway 22.

The force urging clutch head 1 against clutch head 5, and consequently the tension force exerted by hexagonal socket wrench [3 on the nut, is a function of the degree of compression of spring 8. The compression of spring 8 may be pre-adjusted as desired by sleeve cap 3. As the sleeve cap 3 is threaded further onto body casing I, sh0ulder29 of inner casing 2 is brought closer to body casing I and the degree of com ,pression of spring. 8 proportionately increased. ,Sleeve cap 3 may then be secured in the desired positionby means of lock sleeve 4 which is independently rotatable with respect to sleeve cap 3 and also threaded on body casing I. The tension applied to the particular tool in the tip of the tool holder may be further controlled by the operator in the force with which he urges the tool holder against the work. Thus, he may increase the compression on spring 8 beyond that which has been pre-set by sleeve cap 3 by manually urging bit holder I5, tool head l4, inner casing 2, clutch head 5 and clutch element Ii against spring 8. I

However, even when spring 8 is under maximum compression adjustment, i.'e. when body casing I .is in contact with shoulder 29 of inner casing 2,

whether these conditions are brought about by between the end ofshaft 9 and element II] and between the end of shaft II and clutch element '6 to permit the movement of clutch element 6 towards element II] a distance suficient to permit rotation of clutch head I with'respect to clutch head 5 under the extreme conditions set forth above. In the embodiment .of the invention in Figures and 11, keyway 22 is of suflicient length to permit disengagement of clutch heads 5 and 1 when spring 8 is at its maximum compression adjustment.

Tool head I4 is easily and rapidly disengageable from inner casing 2 as a result of the course, square-thread engagement therebetween provided, and when disengaged may be used in the manner of a conventional tool chuck without the tensioning feature provided by the rest of the tool holder. The present tool holderis particularly suited for use in those operations wherein it is desirable to provide non-releasable tool holding means for drilling holes, reaming or similar operations, and thereafter to insert a bolt, screw or other fastening means in the hole which has been drilled or reamed and tighten the fastener under a given maximum tension. The drilling or analogous operations may be carried out using the tool head alone with the desired drill, reamer or the like secured therein by setscrew l1, and when the first operation has been completed, the tool head rapidly threaded into inner casing 2 and a fastener placed in the drilled or reamed hole tightened to any desired tension by means of the proper tool in the tip of the tensioning tool holder. An operator with a single power unit utilizing a tool holder according to the present invention is thus enabled to perform a multiplicity ,of diverse operations, both of the type requiring an automatically releasable tensioning mechanism and those wherein the use of such mechanisms is either undesirable or unnecessary. The change from tensioning to non-tensioning operations requires but a matter vof seconds of the operator's time.

It will be appreciated, of course, that any type of tool may be inserted in the tip of the tool holds er, as for example, various shaped screw drivers adapted to the setting of round slotted-head, fillister head, Phillips head, hexagon head, slotted counter-sunk and .other types of screws in wood or metal, various types of socket heads for tightening nuts or bolts as well as any other type of tool requiring a rotating power drive and a tension 6 release mechanism. The tool holder may be attached to any type of hand held or bench held power means which is supplied with a chuck to engage bit holder I 5, to drill presses, and to other similar equipment.

I claim as my invention:

In a tool holder of the class described, the com- I bination comprising a body casing, tool securing means at the tip of said body casing, an inner casing rotatably and slidably disposed within said body casing, driving means detachably engaging said inner casing and extending without said inner casing, a first releasable clutch head rigidly mounted on said inner casing, a clutch element rotatably and slidably mounted on said inner casing, a second releasable clutch head rigidly mounted on said clutch element, spring means under compression engaging said body casing and normally urging said second clutch head into engagement with said first clutch head, a key formed as a part of said clutch element engaged in a keyway in said body casing to secure said clutch element in slidable and non-rotatable relationship with said body casing.

' FRANK C. WILLIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,672,964 Stull June 12, 1928 1,814,087 Hayward July 14, 1931 2,157,574 Siesel May 9,1939 2,275,004 Behl Mar. 3, 1942 2,286,292 Mall June 6, 1942 2,293,878 Worden Aug. 25, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 89,743 Sweden 1937 OTHER REFERENCES American Machinist, vol. 58, No. 6, February 8, 1923, page 233. Copy in 279-1. 

